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Book Summary and Reviews of An Honest Man by Michael Koryta

An Honest Man by Michael Koryta

An Honest Man

A Novel

by Michael Koryta

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  • Published:
  • Jul 2023, 384 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead: The murder of several politicians at sea has shattering implications for a local lobsterman and a young boy in this action-packed thriller.

Israel Pike was a killer, and he was an honest man. They were not mutually exclusive.

After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht – including two Senate rivals – Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. A troubled man infamous on Salvation Point Island for killing his own father a decade before, Israel has few options, no friends, and a life-threatening secret.

Elsewhere on the island, 12-year-old Lyman Rankin seeks shelter from his alcoholic father in an abandoned house only to discover that he is not alone. A mysterious woman greets him with a hatchet and a promise: "Make a sound and I'll kill you."

As the investigation barrels forward, Lyman, Israel, and the fate of the case collide in immutable ways. Written with mounting suspense, stirring emotion, and deep understanding of character, Koryta continues to prove why Stephen King has called him "a master" and Michael Connelly has deemed him "one of the best of the best, plain and simple."

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Superb ... This is top-tier suspense." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"One of crime fiction's go-to writers." ―Kirkus Reviews

"As in his other novels, Koryta's characters evoke feelings of sympathy, anger, and joy. Readers will stay engaged until the end." ―Library Journal

"This is Koryta's best book. It grabbed me hard and wouldn't let go. A wonderful suspense novel with good writing and lots of texture. It feels like it came straight from the heart." ―Stephen King

"Israel Pike is a deep, emotionally flawed character who shines enormously on the page, and Lyman Rankin runs with him stride for stride. Michael Koryta is an exceptionally gifted storyteller. Every scene sparkles, from the superlative action scenes to the intimate human threads woven throughout. Take my advice: turn these pages. They will not disappoint." ―David Baldacci, bestselling author of Long Shadows

"Michael Koryta is one of those writers who has brought Faulknerian prose to the crime novel." ―James Lee Burke, bestselling author of Every Cloak Rolled in Blood and The Neon Rain

This information about An Honest Man was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Jill

A Really Good Read
Narration by Robert Petkoff was very well done.

Taking place on a small
island off the coast of Maine lives Israel Pike who is, a lobsterman, ‘an honest man’ and also a killer. A twelve year old boy named Lyman Rankin, who seeks shelter from his alcoholic father also is living on Salvation Point Island; an island that is far from salvation. Both Israel and Lyman are fighters trying to do the right thing in a world where that seems impossible. After several politicians are found dead at sea things heat up on Salvation Point Island. Israel and Lyman who have been—“riding along on different storms but bound to collide”…. finally do.

Heavy topics of human trafficking and sex slavery, abuse, along with corruption of police and others are touched upon. Heavy topics, but how Koryta chose to write it was done in a way that I was able to read/listen to it. A few parts were a bit more difficult but they are short descriptions.

Great character development and plot twists. I really enjoyed listening to this and enjoyed Michael Koryta’s style of writing. I liked his book The Chill, written under the pen name of Scott Carson. I’m looking forward to his new book, Lost Man’s Lane, written under pen name Scott Carson.

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Author Information

Michael Koryta Author Biography

Michael Koryta is a New York Times-bestselling author whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages and has won or been nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Edgar® Award, Shamus Award, Barry Award, Quill Award, International Thriller Writers Award, and the Golden Dagger. They've been selected as "best books of the year" by numerous publications.

Author Interview
Link to Michael Koryta's Website

Name Pronunciation
Michael Koryta: Ko-ree-ta

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